Les Gets - slopes

While for many, Portes du Soleil’s 600km of piste are Les Gets’ headline attraction, the pretty, largely forested ski area the resort shares with its lift-linked neighbour Morzine puts a very respectable 120km of piste at your ski tips, giving casual skiers the option of cheaper lift passes. An efficient system of 47 lifts serves these slopes and rarely see queues apart from some weekends when downhill day-trippers join the fun. Even then, Les Gets’ location at the outer edge of the Portes du Soleil guarantees some of the area’s least crowded slopes—particularly on Mont Chéry. 

71 local runs offer quality skiing and snowboarding for every level. As befits Les Gets’ family-friendly vibe, these prioritise intermediates, beginners, and kids, although there are a few heart-in-mouth expert descents to be had, as well as some great off-piste options in glorious surroundings, particularly for those still finding their freeriding feet. Snowshoeing, dog-sledding, paragliding, tobogganing and ski-joëring are among many other ways visitors can get their Alpine kicks. 

Whatever your skill level, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to take in breath-stealing views of Mont Blanc, notably from the top of Mont Chéry. The Ranfoilly platform at the top of the lift of the same name has stunning vistas, while the impressive, pedestrian-accessible 117m² platform Le Belvédère des Nauchets (located beneath the Nauchets Express lift) is the perfect place for a panoramic picnic.

Ski highlights for all levels

Beginners: Les Gets caters well to beginners, with good nursery slopes just above the village centre and a nifty network of green runs near the top of the Chavannes area. These encompass Espace Mappys, a zone of four gentle pistes with two magic carpet lifts, a snow cable, and a rope tow where absolute beginners can learn for free. This is one of many ways Les Gets works hard to look after kids, others being a mini-boardercross, five toboggan runs, and the Native American-themed Territoire du Grand Cry: a forest run with gentle bumps, banked turns, and fun challenges and activities for littler downhillers. 

Intermediates: Intermediates are king in Les Gets, generously served by a sprawling web of sunny, leisurely blue runs across the Chavannes area and some lovely long swoopers down to Morzine. Skiers and snowboarders looking for more challenging reds have a decent selection in the same area, plus some pacier options on Mont Chéry. Of these, our favourite is the 1740m Chamois, whose wide-open top section stirs epic views of Mont Blanc into the mix.

Experts: Mileage-minded experts will want to spend much of their time exploring the broader Portes du Soleil’s 33 black runs. However, Les Gets is not without gnarly thrills, especially on Mont Chéry, whose Mouflon and Gazelle runs will give anyone’s edges something to think about. The oft-moguled Yeti in the Chavannes sector has some pulse-raising steep sections and is an adrenalinista’s dream after a fresh snowfall.

The central chunk of the Portes du Soleil’s fabled freeride and off-piste opportunities are almost inexhaustible and gloriously varied. Les Gets and Morzine’s shared ski area has much to offer too: Les Gets’ focus on family-friendly piste-skiing means its freeride zones are some of the Portes du Soleil’s least plied. Ideal for first-time free riders is Les Maisons Larges, a relatively easy area below the Ranfoilly chairlift. Across the valley, Les Crêtes du Chéry swoops from the top of Mont Chéry down through woods and the traditional village of Mont Chaly. You can find wilder thrills on Mont Chéry’s other side, whose northern aspect gives deep powder the best shelf life in the area. Lastly, the wide-open bowl of the Nyon/Chamossière area above Morzine has much to offer.

Never forget the first rule of off-piste: go with a qualified guide and appropriate avalanche kit.

Ski schools and guides

Les Gets’ long-standing popularity with UK skiers and snowboarders mean there’s no shortage of quality instruction on offer, even if you ne parlez pas français. Local big hitters include ESF Les Gets (www.ski-school-lesgets.co.uk) and École de Ski 360 (www.ecoledeski360.com), both of which offer diverse ski and snowboard tuition, on and off-piste (ESF even teach an intro to biathlon, as well as specialised ski instruction for people with disabilities). Among the many independents, Snowtribe (www.thesnowtribe.com) and Tim Scott LGS (www.skischool.co.uk) have built great reputations with British guests. 

Lift system

The main lifts rising from Les Gets’ village base are fast, several having been upgraded in recent years. The situation’s a little less slick on Mont Chéry, which has a few slower double and quad chairlifts. However, its location at the outskirts of the ski area tends to keep these older lifts queue-free and even adds to the gratifyingly out-of-the-way vibe, fantastic for untracked powder runs. Nip over to Morzine’s local slopes and ageing lifts are rarer still. We’re excited to hear buzz about a possible new gondola link between Les Gets ski area’s two sides, as for now switching means a short walk through the village, hopping aboard a free shuttle bus, or the cute ‘little train’ (basically a Jeep towing passenger trailers in choo-choo drag).

Snow reliability and snowmaking

Generous snow cannon coverage across around 50% of Les Gets’ and Morzine’s local slopes helps to mitigate the low altitude of both resorts’ base slopes. However, this can lead to slushy conditions and sometimes poor cover. Thankfully the resorts’ grassy, pasture-style summer surface means even a thin covering goes a long way. Good grooming is another effective factor in keeping Les Gets’ busiest slopes in decent nick. Higher up, the annual average of 3.25m snowfall does the job nicely. On the hottest of spring skiing days, head up to the Ranfoilly and Chamossière peaks above Morzine, or the north-facing back side of Mont Chéry.

Terrain park

Accessed via the Mouille au Roi chairlift, Snowpark Les Gets in the Chavannes area has a respectable selection of boxes, rails and jumps all on jibbing’s gentler side. Serious aerialists will want to head to the bigger Portes du Soleil, where no less than 30 freestyle areas await them (counting boardercross and ski cross courses). Avoriaz is the trickster’s Mecca, with a whopping superpipe, the massive jumps of the Arare Snowpark and snowboard brand Burton’s game-changing ‘eco snowpark’ The Stash, whose rails and tables are made of wood and integrated into the Lindarets forest. 

Les Gets also has a free timed slalom on Mont Chéry’s Les Oursons run, and our favourite local freestyle thrill, the curvy, swerving 523m Déborah Anthonioz’ Boardercross, named for Les Gets’ Vancouver Olympics champion. You’ll find it off the Gentian slope, accessed via the Chavannes bubble. 

Other mountain activities

Cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, electric mountain biking, and paragliding are just some of the ways you can enjoy Les Gets’ lush winter landscapes. 

Cross-country and Nordic skiing offer a quieter, more contemplative way to connect with your surroundings, all while getting a bracing full-body cardio workout. You can book tuition with ESF Les Gets (www.ski-school-lesgets.co.uk) and École de Ski 360 (www.ecoledeski360.com), or hire kit from one of the 30-odd rental stores in the village before taking on any of three designated routes each in Les Chavannes or on Mont Chéry. Itineraries for cross-country skiing, as well as snowshoeing and hiking, can be downloaded from www.lesgets.com. 

Equipment is widely available for tobogganing and its many variations, including hooning down Les Gets’ five designated sledging slopes, or taking to the pistes on a Yooner, Snooc, or Snowscoot.

Although long-established at Les Gets, ski touring got a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic when shared lifts were a no-go, and the increased interest has endured. Mont Chéry is the centre of ski touring in Les Gets with a waymarked trail rising 600m. As of 2023/4, it’s complemented by an accessible new trail in Les Chavannes leading to the top of Les Nauchets. Details of these routes can be found on www.lesgets.com, as can details of ski schools and instructors who teach ski touring skills and safety. 

Snowmobiling is a higher-octane option. The Mountain E-Park under the Chavannes Express lift offers some scaled-down models that let children as young as five try their hands on a special circuit. Kid-sized kit also means those eight and older can try one of the most popular alternative alpine activities here: electric mountain biking. You can find equipment and instruction at Bike Experience (www.bikeexperience.fr).

Dog sledding, paragliding and ski-joëring further round out Les Gets’ mountain activities.